ART 160: Art Appreciation
Spring, 2013
Instructor: Gary Brown
________________________________________________________________________________________
Number of Credits: 3
Pre or Co requisities: None
Transferability of this Course: This course is designed to apply toward a WNC degree and/or transfer to other schools
within the Nevada System of Higher Education, depending on the degree chosen and other courses completed. It may
transfer to colleges and universities outside Nevada. For information about how this course can transfer and apply to your
program of study, please contact a counselor.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Instructor’s Office: Aspen 232
Office Hours: Tues. 6:00-8:45PM
Email: gary.brown@wnc.edu Telephone: Fax:
Communication& Fine Arts Division Office: 445-4281
My Home Contact Information (for emergencies): r11mutt@gmail.com Phone: 775-849-3771
WNC Campus Security: 230-1952 (call for an escort to your car at any time)
Canceled Class: Make sure your email address in the WNC system is current. In the event I have to cancel
this class I will notify you via email. If you are traveling quite a distance to attend, you may want to check
the Campus Canceled Class Hotline. Go to: http://www.wnc.edu/ and click on the link on the right hand
side of the page.
Class Meets: Tuesday 6:00-8:45 p.m. in Aspen 210
No Text is Required for this course. The instructor will be providing you with Lecture Outlines for note-taking.
Course Description:
This course studies art, artists and art media from various historical periods to develop the student’s capacity to
understand, evaluate and appreciate them.
This is an introductory art course, addressing basic philosophical questions and issues concerning art, exploring
the tools and processes artists use, and using art from around the world to examine the changes in the role or
function of the artist in her or his society.
Through a combination of reading, discussions, lectures, films, trips to the gallery to see exhibitions, hands-on
projects, and yes...tests, I hope to increase your appreciation for art and to stimulate your desire to learn more,
see more, and gain more enjoyment from the art around you.
Course Objectives:
To:
 Gain a broader understanding and appreciation of art and artists from different times and cultures around
the world.
 Gain a broader understanding and appreciation of individual artworks and the underlying aesthetic,
cultural, philosophical and social influences that affected the artists who created them.
 Learn to apply relevant course material to present-day issues and concerns.
 Acquire an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking answers.
General Education Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to:


Have an understanding of the fine arts.
Have developed their problem-solving, creative, and critical thinking skills.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, it is expected that students will have:



Developed their creative capacities.
Participated in at least one cultural or artistic activity, such as a visit to a gallery or museum or attendance at a
community art lecture or event.
Developed an appreciation for the arts.
Class Structure:

Turn cell phones off while in class. Making or receiving phone calls or text messages during class time is not
acceptable. You will be given only one warning about this. If you choose not to respect this rule, it will be
grounds for dismissal from the class.
The class will be a combination of visual presentations and lectures, films, discussions, visiting artist
presentations, visits to galleries, hands-on projects or participation in materials explorations. The
presentation/lectures, in most cases, explore an in-depth focus on selected artworks, artists
and topics related to the world of art.
Attendance:

You have until the end of the 9th week to drop this class if you choose to do so. If you just stop coming to class
and do not initiate a drop yourself, you will receive an “F” as a semester grade.

4 absences amount to two full weeks of missed classes. Use your allowed absences wisely. A total of 5 or more
absences at the semester’s end will result in an “F.”
Colds, flu and sometimes family or medical emergencies do come up. Please talk to me if you find yourself in a
situation like that. If you have more than 4 absences for the class, you will need to provide documentation for those
additional absences in order for me to excuse them.
If you do homework for another class or anything else not related to this class during class time, you will be asked to
leave and will receive an absence for the day. This also applies to copying someone else’s notes if you missed a class.
If you are in class, I expect you to be fully present and paying attention to the material being presented whether in
lecture, discussion or video presentations. If you want to copy someone else’s notes, do it elsewhere.
Art Projects, Demonstrations and Visits to the Campus Art Galleries:
Some class time will be devoted to projects to introduce you to artistic practices in various disciplines. I know
that many of you are not aspiring artists, so the points awarded on the days we do art projects will be based solely
on attendance and participation. If you are present that day and you participate, and put some energy into what
2
you do, you will receive full points for the project. There is no make-up for missed projects or project days. In
the event that we spend more than one day on a project, you will receive project points for the days you are
present in class and participating.
We will also visit the campus galleries to view and discuss the changing exhibitions and at least one of your
writing assignments will be based on a gallery visit. You can also gain extra points by visiting a gallery
exhibition on your own and writing a short paper on it. Talk to me if you need or wish to do that, and I will give
you the format and make suggestions as to possible exhibitions you may want to visit.
Quizzes:
There will be a quiz about every other week. These quizzes will assess your comprehension of material covered
over the period between quizzes. There will be a final quiz during finals week which will be more
comprehensive for material from the whole semester. The dates for the quizzes are listed in the course
schedule. Please make note of them so you know when they will occur. If you need to miss a quiz and wish to
make it up, please contact me in advance with a reason for your absence and I will arrange a make-up time and
place with you. If you just skip an quiz, there is no make-up.
The format will be a combination of short-answer essay, compare and contrast, fill-in-the-blank, identification.
Approximately 30 to 50% of the quiz will be on study slides images—the images we focus on in-depth.
Approximately 50 to 80% will be on general information--(terms, art methods and materials, general information
from the lectures.) You may also be asked to compare and contrast other images to test your understanding of
concepts and terms.
There will be a CD of the PowerPoint presentations I use in class on file at the Reserve Desk in the Library. It is
updated regularly during the semester. If you miss a class, you can go to the front desk in the library, check out
the CD, watch the presentation you missed on one of the Library computers, and make notes just as you would if
you had been in class that day. You can also use the presentations for review before the exams. This is provided
to you as a courtesy. Please do not make copies to take home.
Those who have English as a second language may use a foreign language dictionary (word-to-word only) for the
exams. Please talk to me beforehand if you wish to do this.
Written Assignments:
There will be written assignments, both as homework and as in class work. The focus of these assignments is
twofold. Firstly, it is imperative that you understand and are able to apply concepts explored through assigned
reading as well as in class discussion and video and the writing will ask you to do this. Secondly, some of the
written work will ask you to reflect on various works of art, the making of art, the value of art, and the role or
purpose of art as it relates to you on a personal level. The objective of this work is to help keep you in tune with
specific ideas and concepts focused on in class.
Tutoring:
I am available for extra help after class meetings. If this time is not workable for you, come and talk to me or
leave a message by telephone or email so that we can arrange a better time. Please don’t wait until late in the
semester to ask for help if you find you are struggling. I can do much more to help you if you come in earlier.
If you are interested in being a tutor for this class, please come and talk to me.
3
Special Accommodations:
WNC supports providing equal access for students with disabilities. Susan Trist, DSS coordinator, is
available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that students may require. Please contact Susan
at 445-3275 at your earliest convenience.
Refund Policy:
You will receive a 100% refund if withdrawal is completed by the end of the first week of class.
If you wish to drop the class you must do so by the 9th week of class.
Grading:
30% Quizzes
30% Written work : in class/homework
20%
Studio Projects
20%
In class participation –adding knowledgeable and pertinent information
Attendance: Being present until dismissal for all classes.
Academic Integrity:
If a student is found cheating on an exam, paper, or project in this class, he/she will receive 0 points for that
exam, paper, or project and will not be allowed to make it up. In the case of duplicate, or near duplicate papers,
both papers will receive 0 points.
My expectation is that if you are required to write a paper for more than one class, you will write a separate
paper for each class. A paper turned in for credit in another class is not acceptable for credit in this class. This
also applies to projects assigned for this class
4
2